Setting means for universal timepiece



SHAOTANG LEE SETTING MEANS FOR UNIVERSAL TIMEPIECE May 9, 1967 1 t e e h a S t e e h s 2 Lrz w 222226 $55 3 0 0v 0 4 4 6 9 1 1 l a e D d e l 1 F INVENTOR May 9, 1967 SHAO-TANG LEE SETTING MEANS FOR UNIVERSAL TIMEPIECE 2 Sheets-Sheet :2

Filed Dec. 11, 1964 9111? 8 we 3 mm Ev mm 5 I NVENTOR United States Patent G 3,318,085 SETTING MEANS FOR UNIVERSAL TIMEPIECE Shao-Tang Lee, 25 Chi-Kuang St., Taichung City, Taiwan Filed Dec. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 417,841 Claims. (CI. 58-43) The instant invention is concerned with a universal timepiece, and is more particularly directed to setting means for a universal timepiece.

In accordance therewith this invention, otherwise known as a World Travel Air Watch, relates to a watch having a specially designed local time dial ring and Greenwich time dial disc, in conjunction with devices for turning the Greenwich time dial disc. Indicia, normally abbreviations or letters, referring to localities in the twenty-four time zones are provided on the case rim of the watch, with the longitudinal degrees of the twenty-four local standard time zones around the globe being provided about the inside wall of the case rim of the watch. The shifting of the Greenwich dial disc is basically effected by a special central shaft construction. A detailed reference dial of specific localities in the twenty-four standard time zones of the world is provided on the back of the watch. The improvements involved herein will enable a watch to indicate both the local time and Greenwich standard time simultaneously. Once the new watch is adjusted to one of the local standard times it can subsequently be adjusted to any desired local standard time promptly and instantly without looking at any other watch or listening to a time broadcast, the adjusting action, because of the nature thereof, not affecting the relative time indicated by the watch by even a single second. It is contemplated that this new watch will be very convenient to both air and sea travellers, thus the name World Travel Air Watch.

Basically, the watch of the instant invention includes a case having a peripheral wall, a dial exposing face, a back, and a rim on the wall surrounding the face. Indicia is provided on the rim indicating different time zones and a local dial ring is fixed to the case about the face inward of the rim. The dial ring has numbers thereabout radially aligned with the rim indicia and corresponding to the equivalent time in the dilferent time zones. An enlarged central dial is mounted within the dial ring in a predetermined relationship therewith for selective rotation relative thereto. The central dial has numbers thereon corresponding to the hours in a day and relating to time based on a specific meridian. The dial ring numbers are radially aligned with the central dial numbers. An hour hand is rotatably mounted centrally of the central dial and projects radially in overlying relation thereto and in a predetermined relationship with the central dial and the dial ring. The hour hand indicates, in conjunction with the dial ring, the time in a specific locale. The hour hand simultaneously, in combination with the central dial, indicates a time based upon a different meridian from the indicated local time on the dial ring. Means is provided for physically changing the relationship be tween the hour hand and the dial ring for indicating time in a different locale while at the same time retaining the relationship between the hour hand and the central dial 3,318,085 Patented May 9, 1967 for continuing to indicate time based upon the different meridian. This last mentioned means comprises means for selectively fixing the hour hand to the central dial and means for simultaneously rotating and setting the central dial and the hour hand in a new relationship relative to the dial ring. The means for simultaneously rotating the central dial and the hour hand include a rotatable winding stem, a gear associated with the stem and meshed with a track fixed to the central dial, and means for selectively locking the gear to the stem for rotation therewith.

FIGURE 1 is a front face view of the new watch showing the details thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the back of the case of the watch;

FIGURE 3 is a View of the inside of the watch through the rear of the case detailing the structure at approximately the plane of line 3-3 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are partial sectional views showing the relative positions of the shaft-separator of the hour hand and the turning devices for the Greenwich time dial disc when the stem winder is at its normal position and at its pulled position respectively;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 4 illustrating the turning cogwheel for turning the Greenwich time dial disc;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view detailing the central shaft unit;

FIGURE 8 illustrates cross-sectional views of a specific shaft of the hour hand at designated heights;

FIGURE 9 is a view of the lower shaft collar taken from the gripping face thereof; and

FIGURE 10 illustrates the lower receiver from the gripping face thereof.

Referring now more specifically to the invention, in this new watch I use indicia, either letters ora'bbreviations, 20 on the case rim to represent the names of localities in the twenty-four zones of local standard time around the globe. Inward of the case rim on the face of the watch are the longitudinal degrees 21 of the twenty-four zones of local standard time. Numeral 22 indicates the scale for the minutes and seconds. Numeral 23 indicates the local time dial ring, and 27 is the circular boundary between the local time dial ring 23 and the Greenwich time dial disc 70. The color green will normally be used for the numerals on the Greenwich disc 70, or alternatively, the surface of the disc will be colored pale green to characterize this disc. Reference numerals 66, 67 and 68 indicate the hour hand, minute hand and second hand respectively. The light oblong 24 and dark oblong 25 on the local time dial ring 23 and the Greenwich time dial disc 70 indicate the beginning and the end of the day respectively. On the local time dial ring 23 I have put twelve oclock at the top and the twin oblongs at the bottom in that when the watch is standing up before the owner facing to the South, the hour hand will always generally point to the sun position around the globe. I name this arrangement The Sun (solar) Position Arrangement.

In FIGURE 1 the arrowhead 50 pointing to the representative letter P means that the watch is adjusted to indicate Peking standard time. By adjusting the arrowhead 50 to point to the desired letter or abbreviation the watch will indicate both the corresponding locale standard time and Greenwich standard time simultaneously. For example, if we turn the arrowhead to point to N the watch will show eight oclock for New Guinea local standard time and the Greenwich standard time 22 oclock remains unchanged.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the back of the watch which contains the detailed names 57 of major locales within the twenty-four local standard times around the globe, these names corresponding to the letters and abbreviations '20 on the case rim of the watch as seen in FIG- URE 1. The numbers of the longitudinal degree 21 can be used as the indicator of the localities of the local standard times also. The numeral 56 in FIGURE 2 indicates the incisions for turning the waterproof back of the watch case.

Numeral 35 in FIGURES 1 and 2 indicates the stern winder of the new watch. In FIGURE 3 numeral 30 indicates the screws with which the local standard time dial ring 23 is fixed to the case of the watch. The screws 26 fix the elastic spring detent of mamma-shaped form 31 to the watch case. The forty-eight round incisions 58 are used for detaining the mamma-shaped spring detent 31 a point corresponding to the desired local standard time. A gear track having forty-eight teeth 32 depends vertically from the under surface of the Greenwich time dial disc 70, these teeth 32 meshing with the teeth of the gear wheel 33 as shown in FIGURE 6. The gear wheel 33 itself is mounted on the stern by the member 71.

In FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, numerals 64 and 61 are screws with which the shaft separator 46 is pivoted to the frame 65 and the stem 47 respectively. Reference numeral 63 indicates the offset or bent part of the shaft separator 46. These figures also shOW clearly the shape of the shaft separator 46. As noted in FIGURE 4, reference numeral 69 indicates the watch glass.

41 is the upper end of the shaft of the hour hand protruding out of the central hole of the Greenwich standard time dial disc 70 and is retained by the ring member 49. Adjacent the upper end 41 and about the outside layer of the coaxial tubes of the hour hand shaft is a cone-shaped collar 42. A receiver 48 for the collar 42 is provided on the inner or under surface of the Greenwich time dial disc 70 about the central hole therethrough. When the shaft separator 46 is in its normal position, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, the surface of the receiver 48 and the surface of the cone-shaped collar 42 are separated by the action of the spring 40 which is in the cavity between the outer tube 37 and the inner tube 38. As shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, the Greenwich time dial disc 70 is made of two layers, the outer layer disc being fitted to the local time dial ring and at tached to the inner layer disc by screws 74. The spring 40 biases the ribs 54 of the lower collar 43 into selected ones of the numerous incisions 72 of the receiver 44 on wheel member 45. Member 73 is used to support the wheel 45 about the shaft unit. The ratio of the number of ribs 54 to the number of incisions 72 can be varied. Also, the two engaging surfaces of the receiver 44 and collar 43 may be roughened or provided with extra fine incisions 72.

The shaft separator 46 is pivotally and slidably secured to the frame 65 by screw 64 and rotatably secured to the stem 47 by the screw 61. In FIGURE 5, as the stem winder 47 is pulled out, the upper collar 42 is pressed or cammed upward by the bent part 63 of the shaft separator 46 into engagement with the receiver 48 of the Greenwich time dial disc 70. The surfaces of the receiver 48 and collar 42 are fixed to each other by the pressure of the separator 46, while the lower collar 43 and the receiver 44 at the gear 45 are separated. As shown in FIGURE 5, when the stem winder 47 is pulled, the member, key or lug 34 engages in the incision 60, so the gear 33 can be turned by turning the stem winder 4 35, allowing both the hour hand 66 and the Greenwich time di-al disc 70 to be turned through a turning of the stem winder 35.

The enlarged sectional view of FIGURE 7 shows the detailed relationship of the shaft unit elements including the receivers 48 and 44 and the collars 42 and 43. The spring 40 is in the cavity between the tubes 37 and 38 at the upper portion of the shaft unit. FIGURE 8 illustrates the cross-sectional views as designated in FIG- URE 7 by A-B, CD, EF, GH and 1-]. In the crosssection A-B numerals 42, 37, 40 and 38 indicate the collar member, outer layer tube, spring and the inside layer tube respectively. The cross-section C-D shows the relative positions of the outer layer tube 37 and the inner layer tube 38 with its ribs 39 in the upper half part of the shaft of the hour hand, the cavity between the tubes 37 and 38 being for the accommodation of the spring 40. The cross-section E-F shows the outer layer tube of the lower half part having grooves 35 and protruding portions 55, the portions 55 being used to form a supporting bottom for the spring 40. The cross-section G-H shows the outside layer tube 37 with its lower collar 43. The cross section I] shows the upper portion 41 of the inside layer tube 38 with the detaining member (ring) 49 detaining the shaft against protrusion out through the central hole of the Greenwich time dial disc 70 as the shaft is pressed upwardly by the spring'40 engaged against the bottom 55. As shown in FIGURE 7, the detaining ring 49 has a round shape at its upper side, which is for reducing friction against the inner surface around the central hole of the Greenwich time dial disc 70 as the ring 49 is pressed by the spring 40 when the separator 46 is pushed back and the toothed wheel of the hour hand is in its original tum-ing position. As shown in FIG- URES 4, 15 and 7, the bottom surface of the upper coneshaped collar 42 of the shaft of the hour hand is a globular surface, which reduces the friction between the collar 42 and the shaft separator 46 while adjusting the time to another local standard time when the stem winder is pulled out and the Greenwich time dial disc 70 is turned by the cogwheel 33. FIGURE 9 illustrates the coneshaped collar 43 with several projecting ribs 54. When the shaft separator 46 is pushed back and the shaft pressed by the spring 40, the ribs 54 are fixed to the numerous incisions 72 in the receiver 44 of the gear 45.

In summary, the hour hand sleeve-like shaft member 37 is rotatably received centrally within the watch case and includes an upper locking collar 42 and a lower locking coll ar743, An expanded coil compression spring 40 biases the shaft 37 downwardly'so as to engage the lower locking collar 43 with the receiver 44 in the gear 45 which is in turn a part of the conventional gear train of a watch mechanism. At the same time, the collar 42 is automatically disengaged from a receiver 48 which is defined within the under surface of the central dial disc 7 0. The position of the dial disc 70 is maintained by the spring detent 31. When it becomes desirable to rotate the central dial so as to orientate the watch to read on a different local'time, the stem 47 is pulled, therebydr-awing along an elongated plate-like camming member 46 which bears against the undersurface of the upper collar 42 and upwardly drives the shaft collar 42 so as to lock the collar 42 with the central dial. At the same time, the stem pulls a key or lug 34 into a recess 60 within the gear 33. This gear 33 is meshingly engaged with the track 32 on the undersurface of the dial disc 70 whereby a rotation of the stem will effect a rotation of'the dial disc 70 and the hour hand shaft 37 locked thereto. It will be appreciated that the camming member 46 is rotatably secured to the stem as at 61 so as to move longitudinally with the stem 47 while allowing for rotation of the stem 47 relative thereto. Upon achieving the appropriate local time, indicated by the hour on the face of the dial disc 70, the stem is pushed in and the conventional watch train gear engaged.

In the actual watch, the reference dial may be as detailed, or more detailed, than illustrated in the drawings and set out as follows:

I-International date line, Aukland W-Wake, Noumea, Kamchatka Peninsula NNew Guinea, Sydney, Australia TKyoto, Tokyo P--Peking, Nanking, Taiwan, Hong Kong S-Singapore, Chungking, Bangkok L-Lhasa, Sinkian g, Calcutta-Rangoon KBombay, Karachi R-Reunion, Mauritius, Iran Ir-Iraq, Madagascar, Moscow CTurkey, Cairo, Greece, Leningrad B-Berlin, Rome GGreenwich, London, Paris IcIceland, Canary Island-s, Gambia Az-Azores, Cape Verde Islands JRio de Janeiro, Greenland AtSantiago (Atlantic) Ny-New York, Washington, DC ChChicago D-Denver Pa-Los Angeles (Pacific) Y-Yukon, Dawson H-Honolulu, Alaska MMidway, Nome, Aleutians Further, while a twenty-four hour watch has been illustrated, it will be appreciated that a twelve hour watch can similarly be provided, this of course requiring a doubling up of the indicia, such as by providing both the I and G at the twelve along with their corresponding locality list on the back surface of the watch case. All of the above improvements can, if so desired, be incorporated into the structure of almost any conventional watch so as to gain the advantageous features heretofore referred to.

Since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as tollows:

1. A multi-local time telling watch comprising a case, said case including a peripheral wall, a dial exposing face, a back, and a rim on said wall surrounding said face, indicia on said rim indicating different time zones, a local time dial ring fixed to said case about said face inward of said rim, said dial ring having numbers thereabout radially aligned with the rim indicia and corresponding with the equivalent time in the different time zones, an enlarged central dial mounted within said dial ring in a predetermined relationship therewith and for selective rotation relative thereto, said central dial having numbers thereon corresponding to the hours in a day and relating to time based on a specific meridian,- said dial ring numbers being radially aligned with the central dial numbers, an hour hand rotatably mounted centrally of said central dial and projecting radially in overlying relation thereto and in a predetermined relationship with said central dial and said dial ring, said hour hand indicating, in conjunction with said dial ring, the time in a specific locale, said hour hand simultaneously, in conjunction with said central dial, indicating a time based upon a diiferent meridian from the indicated local time on the dial ring, means for physically changing the relationship between the hour hand and the dial ring for indicating time in a different locale while at the same time retaining the relationship between the hour hand and the central dial for continuing to indicate the time based upon said different meridian, said last-mentioned means comprising means for selectively fixing said hour hand to said central dial, and means for simultaneously rotating and setting said central dial and said hour hand in a new relationship relative to the dial ring, said means for simultaneously rotating said central dial and said hour hand including a rotatable winding stem, a gear associated with said stem and meshed with a track fixed to said central dial, and means for selectively locking said gear to said stem for rotation therewith.

2. The device of claim 1 including a shaft rotatably mounted centrally within said casing, one end of said shaft projecting through said center dial and being secured to said hour hand for effecting the rotation thereof, said shaft being longitudinally .shiftable, said means releasably interlocking said central dial and said hour hand comprising a receiver on said central dial surrounding said shaft, and a collar on said shaft selectively movable into and out of said receiver upon a longitudinal shifting of said shaft, said receiver and collar having mating interlockable faces thereon.

3. The device of claim 2 including means resiliently biasing said shaft longitudinally away from said central dial and said collar out of engagement with said receiver, and means for effecting a longitudinal shifting of said shaft against the biasing 'force.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said means for effect ing a longitudinal shifting of said shaft includes a camming element fixed to said stem and underlying said collar, said stern being longitudinally movable, said camming member and said means for selectively locking said gear to said stem being mounted on said stem for simultaneous engagement of said gear and said receiver upon a longitudinal movement of said stem.

5. The device of claim 4 including a hand driving gear, said gear having a second receiver thereon, a second collar mounted on said shaft, said second receiver and second collar having mating interlockable faces thereon, said biasing means biasing said second collar into engagement with said second receiver, said first-mentioned collar being disengaged upon engagement of said second collar and vice versa.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 99,902 2/ l 8 Hulbert et a1 5843 701,853 6/1902 Davis 5843 811,585 2/1906 Pheils 5843 1,732,934 10/ 1929 Giusto 5843 FOREIGN PATENTS 827,921 1/1952 Germany.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. STEPHEN J. TOMSKY, Examiner. G, F, BAKER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A MULTI-LOCAL TIME TELLING WATCH COMPRISING A CASE, SAID CASE INCLUDING A PERIPHERAL WALL, A DIAL EXPOSING FACE, A BACK, AND A RIM ON SAID WALL SURROUNDING SAID FACE, INDICIA ON SAID RIM INDICATING DIFFERENT TIME ZONES, A LOCAL TIME DIAL RING FIXED TO SAID CASE ABOUT SAID FACE INWARD OF SAID RIM, SAID DIAL RING HAVING NUMBERS THEREABOUT RADIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE RIM INDICIA AND CORRESPONDING WITH THE EQUIVALENT TIME IN THE DIFFERENT TIME ZONES, AN ENLARGED CENTRAL DIAL MOUNTED WITHIN SAID DIAL RING IN A PREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH AND FOR SELECTIVE ROTATION RELATIVE THERETO, SAID CENTRAL DIAL HAVING NUMBERS THEREON CORRESPONDING TO THE HOURS IN A DAY AND RELATING TO TIME BASED ON A SPECIFIC MERIDIAN, SAID DIAL RING NUMBERS BEING RADIALLY ALIGNED WITH THE CENTRAL DIAL NUMBERS, AN HOUR HAND ROTATABLY MOUNTED CENTRALLY OF SAID CENTRAL DIAL AND PROJECTING RADIALLY IN OVERLYING RELATION THERETO AND IN A PREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID CENTRAL DIAL AND SAID DIAL RING, SAID HOUR HAND INDICATING, IN CONJUNCTION WITH SAID DIAL RING, THE TIME IN A SPECIFIC LOCALE, SAID HOUR HAND SIMULTANEOUSLY, IN CONJUNCTION WITH SAID CENTRAL DIAL, INDICATING A TIME BASED UPON A DIFFERENT MERIDIAN FROM THE INDICATED LOCAL TIME ON THE DIAL RING, MEANS FOR PHYSICALLY CHANGING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HOUR HAND AND THE DIAL RING FOR INDICATING TIME IN A DIFFERENT LOCALE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME RETAINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HOUR HAND AND THE CENTRAL DIAL FOR CONTINUING TO INDICATE THE TIME BASED UPON SAID DIFFERENT MERIDIAN, SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS COMPRISING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY FIXING SAID HOUR HAND TO SAID CENTRAL DIAL, AND MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATING AND SETTING SAID CENTRAL DIAL AND SAID HOUR HAND IN A NEW RELATIONSHIP RELATIVE TO THE DIAL RING, SAID MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ROTATING SAID CENTRAL DIAL AND SAID HOUR HAND INCLUDING A ROTATABLE WINDING STEM, A GEAR ASSOCIATED WITH SAID STEM AND MESHED WITH A TRACK FIXED TO SAID CENTRAL DIAL, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY LOCKING SAID GEAR TO SAID STEM FOR ROTATION THEREWITH. 